Mobile Suit Gundam: God's Hammer
by elperdedor4
Summary: The continuing war of Rick Evans, RGM-79 pilot; in the after-war period after the One Year War. Only luck and skill will determine who lives and who dies.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 ****  
****Solomon Surface, December 24th, UC 0079 ****  
****Ensign Rick Evans ******

_You'll be making it back, kid. I know your type. The ones that don't have anything left back home are the ones that survive._

I couldn't move my hand. I couldn't depress the trigger. The only thing that I could think about were the words from my newly deceased commander. They didn't seem to ring as true, now.

"Rick! Take that shot!"

I couldn't even hear my remaining wing mate, over the sound of my breathing. Everything was turning into hell, I could see the cascades of fire opening from the center of the asteroid, the thousands of beams of light to my back, everything flashing...fading. All around me was nothing but death, destruction...a Zaku detonating in the distance, a GM exploding right in front of me, repeating every second...flashes of light passing by, fading out of existence.

"Rick! Take it! Take the shot! Please!"

I looked down to my left panel, a video feed of my wounded wing mate yelling at me, blood running down from her face, her visor broken open, tears in her eyes...my GM holding hers propped up as we stood in place on the surface, it's torso badly melted, it's right arm gone. I couldn't even focus on the Zaku in front of me, only being able to stare at her as she teared up, screaming at me to take action, to move my suit...my shield in front of her suit's torso, leaving mine open right in his line of fire. If I had to...I'd be that next flash of light. She had suffered enough.

"Rick! Kill him! He'll kill you!"

I barely managed to take my focus away from her and at it. Pointing it's machine gun at me while the monoeye glowed dark red as it fired, the status monitor starting to scream in pain as the 120mm rounds starting making impact on the left shoulder armor, starting to trace itself down towards my cockpit as the monitor could barely continue to track the damage. She kept screaming on the left panel, tears flying from her eyes as she threw herself against her controls...blood seeping through her flight suit under her left arm, and it continued to stream down her face from the large gash on the top of her head. She tried to continue looking at me at me with her right eye, the only one she could keep open, under the portion of her visor that wasn't shattered open.

Something inside me was broken, I could sense it but I couldn't do anything about it. I couldn't even force the trigger finger down, not even that tiny bit of energy to pull the trigger, to fire at this pilot who was now threatening to kill not only her, but me as well. I was starting to think I would prefer that, then this. At least she'd be safe, she was under my shield. She wouldn't be hurt anymore, not if I could just get it to waste the rest of its ammo on me...the only sound I could hear was my own breathing, in a deep repeating round...preparing for the final cockpit breach, waiting for that one bullet to the head...

"Rick! Rick!"

And then it broke again, upon realizing my stupidity. My wing mate was dying, screaming at me to take action, starting to slump over in her seat, the sounds of her sobbing sounding nothing like I had ever heard before in my life...and I was doing nothing. But no. I had to do something. Every second I wasted now would mean her being that much closer to death once our reinforcements arrive, and she already near spent...I couldn't even hear her yells over the sound of mine, all the rage in my entire body suddenly threw itself forward...letting her suit go and advancing towards the Zaku, bouncing off of the asteroid as the thrusters kicked in, throwing me back into my restraints. Its rounds continued impacting against my GM's torso, the right panel blowing out as I charged straight towards it, jarring me and shaking me violently as hard as the g's were but it was of no concern. Not now. There was nothing left for me to do but this. She'd be safe...

It just sat there, firing away at me, the rounds still impacting on my suit every second I flew towards him, until this giant white flash appeared above us. It had appeared from behind this gigantic green suit with two legs, but no arms; the one that had just launched in front of us just a minute or two ago. After that flash appeared, the Zaku just threw its gun away, turning around and suddenly boosting away. Running away...I couldn't let him, I couldn't...the thought of this man having a life just like mine passed through my head for the slightest of seconds until I realized no, he couldn't...not after British, not the gassings, not the slaughter of billions of innocents...my friends...now her, the most innocent woman I had ever met, bleeding to death in a god damned mobile coffin, by his hands, their hands...I found the strength to depress the trigger, just once.

The shot flew true, right into the suit's back, instantly making the reactor go nova on him, the Zaku expanding on itself until it disintegrated, parts flying backwards against my suit as it and its pilot faded out of existence. I found myself lacking the voice to yell anymore...wondering for the slightest second what he was doing, trying to run away from me, obviously a defeated opponent...until I saw that the entire force was starting to leave, far ahead of me the Zakus were flying away, trailing behind them cables for the rest of their troops to grab onto, running away...running...

"Rick..."

I could barely even look at her now as her feed continued on the left panel, just staring at the shards of the Zaku in front of me floating around, killed by a shot to the back by a near lifeless GM, while it was trying to retreat, to survive...posing no threat anymore...as I looked down to her feed on the left panel again she pressed herself against her cockpit camera...bleeding, crying...slumping over to the left as her head went back so I was unable to see her expression anymore...god, she didn't just...no...

**EFSF Transport Humble, January 31st, UC0080 ****  
****Ensign Rick Evans**  
"Rick...Rick?" I felt a jarring motion, someone's arm resting behind my shoulders. I saw pitch black for a moment before I opened my eyes, seeing the seats in front of me, the heads of the people in front of us...turning to my right, Tasha...

"Are you alright? You started murmuring..." I looked to her, putting my hand to her face, pushing her hair back as I ran it down her scar, that gash...retracting it, sinking back into my seat. Jesus christ, I was doing it again.

"I'm...I'm fine. I'm sorry." She looked at me with a concerned look, rubbing my left arm back and forth with the one she had around me.

"...another nightmare?" I nodded, feeling embarrassed, trying to sink back as far as I could into the seat, trying to make myself feel as less of an idiot as I possibly could. Goddamnit, acting like some damn kid...she nodded, forcing me closer to her.

"We're alive, Rick...it's all that matters. We're still alive." I found her starting to lose that motherly stance as she started to fade in my shoulder, trying to take stock in her own words, knowing as well as I did that it was a hollow statement. I started to wrap my arm around her as we just stared forward, at the three or four rows of seats in front of us, one man looking back at us as if we were insane, some lowly tech or something. I just shook my head, trying to take it all in, letting out a sigh. It seemed like we just stared at him for hours, trying to get those memories to lose their effect on me, not knowing if it was working or not. It continued on and on, her image on the video feed of my GM, the Zaku firing at me...

I turned to look at her again, her time to take a rest, which she had decided to do with little hesitation, resting her head on my shoulder as she started to fall asleep. Lieutenant JG Natasha Rivers, my MS team commander. I'd follow the lady into hell if she so commanded it. At this point, there'd be little else to do, and nowhere else really that the Federation could send us to, and no one else to turn to. We were the same way, me and her. Both twenty one, no family, nothing left in our lives but to continue this one. Flying the RGM-79 straight into the mouth of hell, flanked by hundreds of others like us, but unlike them, for whatever reason, we managed to survive. Solomon, A Baoa Qu, Perzun...we survived all three. We survived Operation British, we lived through the Battle of Loum, survived during the occupation...we lived through the One Year War.

And neither of us had anything to show for it, not now. The only thing I had was her, but god...if it was the only thing keeping my sanity, it was her. My dearest friend, my only friend still alive...I rubbed her arm as she started sleeping on my shoulder, lightly breathing. It was comforting.

My thoughts skimmed back to my dream, I suppose. That Zaku...I still wondered if that pilot was like me. Nothing left to give, but his life...and for what reason? Just to die and decrease the surplus population? I suppose that was the most reasonable answer. It was the only answer I allowed myself to justify, he had to die. However, I still had that regret, the fact I pulled the trigger on him while he was trying to get away...

But I turned back and looked at her again, still sleeping soundly on my shoulder. She would have died if I hadn't. That was the only reason. I wouldn't have done it had her life not been in danger, I would have been perfectly fine with taking that bullet, I could only wonder why I hadn't died in that charge...

Then again, she felt the same way in regards to me. I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for her. I suppose that's why I was still alive, after it all. If I wasn't looking after her, no one would. And other then her, I'm sure as hell that no one is looking after me...and when you're flying in the GM, flying alone is the last thing you want to do.

I found a small smile form on my face, turning back to look at her one more time before I turned to look out the window, rubbing her arm, that asteroid growing ever so closer once again. I let out a sigh, letting it turn into a full on smile.

I guess, for the first time in this life, I was almost content.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 ****  
****Konpei Island, February 1st, UC0080 ****  
****Internal Hanger 4, 1800 Hours ****  
****Ensign Rick Evans ****  
**The flight back was rather uneventful, other than that little apparent outburst of mine. As least, from what Tasha made me aware of, who knows if I made an even bigger ass out of myself then what she let me on to.

Either way, I found it rather uneasy footing once I stepped off the transport, duffle bag slung on my back, helping her get off as she went behind me. I took a good hard look at the surroundings, various mechanics starting to float over to the Humble to get it refueled, all of this being surrounded by the caved in walls. I couldn't even make it past the first step, the thought sweeping over me that this was what the rest of the company died for, this little rock. In person, though, to be back here was a bit overwhelming. To think that just a few hangers over...

"So...we're back." I turned over looked to her; she hung her head a bit low, not seeming to be as interested in taking in the view as I was. I couldn't blame her, really.

"Yes. Solomon." She looked over to me, shaking her head.

"No. Konpei Island. Konpeitoh. Anything but Solomon. That was then." I nodded in reply, almost feeling embarrassed that I had referred to it as such. To call it that would be a slap in a face to everyone that didn't make it. Solomon was Zeon's, and Zeon's only. This was Konpei, now. Regardless, it looked just about the same as it had only two months ago. I turned back to her, she looked ill at ease.

"...and this is all we won out of the war." I had a bit of a small frown, but knew all too well that she was right. The appeasements that the Federation made in order to get the Zekes to sign the damn treaty were almost a complete slap in to the face, for all of us. They let them keep a good portion of the Earth, they let them keep Grenada, they let them keep A Baoa Qu...we just got a fucking rock that too many people died to receive.

"Well, to be honest...it isn't all that bad, as far as a strategic position goes..." I found myself just wanting to swallow my own words and try to believe them. McFarlin, Davis, the rest of them...they all died just to rename a rock. Tasha ended up with all of her scars. Me...hell, I don't even know. I just walked out alive and very damned lucky. She realized I was trying to be sympathetic, and so brushed her hair away to the side; the brown locks of her bob cut giving way as she started running her hand down her scar in front of me, as if to make a point that she didn't give a damn.

"...if there was still a fucking war going on." I couldn't argue that point. I turned away, trying to find something to say that I wouldn't offend her with. She still was rather uneasy with happened, with our allies and to herself. I suppose I would be too, if I had been the one with metal fragments ending up in my head, chest, and leg.

"...true. I don't know, really." She looked over to me as if she was going to laugh in my face, for not going through what she had, but kept it at that little bit of a smile and pulled back her hand, returning it to her side.

"You do know, Rick. I wish Perzun had been a whole new war in itself. I could have made it lasted years, for what they did..." I swallowed a gulp, she had told me a lot of things of what happened before we had met, things that I could have never have believed could happen to a girl like her, but...after British and the invasion, nothing seemed to have been out of the ordinary anymore. Hell, I could even believe in the whole newtype race they were talking about now, the new breed of warriors...at the rate that we had been exterminating ourselves already; we wouldn't have a need for them.

"And you know how I feel in regards to that, Tasha." She looked to me, almost as if she had realized she was being too sharp at the tongue and immediately a frown washed over her face, as if she had opened up some wounds of mine. She really didn't, but if she had, I really could have cared less at this point. Still, it was nice to see that she cared.

"...I'm sorry, Rick. I..." I cut her off, putting a hand on her shoulder, just smiling at her. She took the hint and smiled back just a wee bit, hanging her head low again.

"It's fine. But let's stop pitying ourselves while we can. We got to make it to the Captain's office ASAP." She nodded and started to lead the way, her duffle bag starting to bounce to and fro as she kept walking. She never missed a single step, not stopping to look at anything along the way, or to talk to anyone that passed by the two of us. She only had the one destination in mind, and I knew that she didn't want to stop, unless she wanted to let the memories bother her again.

**Konpei Island, February 1st, UC0080 ****  
****Captain William Rodecker's Office, 1830 Hours ****  
****Ensign Rick Evans**  
I think we were both hesitant to knock at the door once we reached his office, the gold nameplate on the left side of the door appearing to be worth more than both of our GMs combined. I took a look at her, and she did the same to me, both of us having a little bit of an awkward look to our faces. We just sat out in front of his office for a few moments or so before I finally got the courage up to knock, Tasha standing back a bit behind me as I did. It seemed to have gone unanswered for several seconds, before I heard a muffled voice from the other side.

"Come in." Tasha was already at my side again, looking at me with a rather uneasy look to her face, almost as if she feared meeting the man more so then the actual fighting. I nodded, and I opened the door, letting her in.

I closed it behind me as I came in, taking my place next to her on the right, as we faced his desk. His chair was turned away from us; a steady stream of smoke filled the air in front of it. On the desk there was a model of the GM and all sorts of documents that I couldn't see, and even I could see them I'd be pretty sure they'd have to kill me for looking at them. All sorts of decor laid about, a few boxes next to the desk, a giant map of the Earth Sphere behind it, which I assumed he was looking at. After a few more moments, and a rather audible scuffing noise as Tasha rubbing her left boot with her right, he finally turned to face us, both of us having held our saluting position for what seemed like hours. The man was rather built, but looked a bit aged; prematurely even...however still looked as if he still had a lot of fight in him. He resettled his cap as he looked at the two of us up and down, taking a puff off of his cigar. He set it down on his ashtray, and nodded at the two of us.

"At ease." We both fell to a more comfortable position, as he continued to look us over; apparently more at Tasha then he was me.

"So, you two are Lieutenant JG Natasha Rivers and Ensign Rick Evans, yes?" We both answered in unison, without any sort of thought about it whatsoever.

"Sir, yes, sir!" He nodded, starting to rub his chin with his left hand, the cigar dangling out of his right as he picked it up again.

"I see...Evans, the 'Green Death', eh?" I continued to stare at him, continuing with answering him.

"Sir, yes, sir!" He nodded again, taking a drag off the cigar again. I was starting to wish I had a cigarette at the moment.

"...what in hell possessed you to take that title, son?" I felt a little bit taken back, usually not having to explain that part. My actions spoke more than enough.

"Sir, it refers to the color of my mobile suit. It is the last color the enemy sees before their death, sir." He took another drag, and looked as if he was almost about to burst out laughing. Instead he kept it to a smile, and nodded.

"Please son, just call me Rodecker. I like your enthusiasm." I nodded as well, waiting for him to continue. He looked over to Tasha before he did.

"And you, Rivers. Do you have any sort of title you bestowed upon yourself such as this man?" She looked to him, almost as if she was afraid to speak.

"No, sir. No title." He nodded yet again, and looked at me once more, most likely noticing the beads of sweat falling down my face. We'd fought hard to get this recommendation.

"Well then...you two, by chance? Light them if you have them." We both nodded at that, nearly simultaneously reaching for our packs and lighting up. He laughed as we did.

"Oh, the doctor says that it's completely against regulation, to smoke in my own office. But it's mine, and I'll do as I damn well please." He let out another drag, taking notice of Tasha, who was a bit more uneased then I was. The cigarette and his now rather joking tone had calmed me.

"So, I hope that you two are aware of why you are here." We both nodded, answering.

"To serve in God's Hammer, sir." He nodded upon our answer, looking down at one of the sheets before him on the desk.

"Yes, yes...to protect, and to judge justly. That is our creed, and our motto, and our honor. You two will serve under me, and live that creed, and that motto, and with that honor. Is that much understood?" We both answered in unison again, and he offered the ashtray to us, Tasha had already burned through quite a bit of hers. He continued as she ashed.

"As I'm sure the both of you are aware as well, the current situation that the Earth Federation now faces. The war is over, but we still have those who chose to continue their efforts to undermine the authority of the Federation, despite the war's end, despite the peace accords. We cannot and will not allow this to continue, lest we find ourselves swept into yet another senseless war." I nodded, ashing my cigarette as well.

"The reason that I personally approved both of your transfers is due to the fact that I believe that you two are of the highest caliber in regards to accomplishing that objective. Your service to the Federation has been greatly appreciated in the last year, and because of your accomplishments during the war...I believe that you two will be valued assets in these operations that we are about to undertake." I started taking a drag, taking in all he had to say. As I exhaled he continued again.

"At least, you can show the rookies something." I think me and Tasha both recoiled at the statement. She spoke before I did.

"Rookies, sir?" He nodded, taking a drag from his cigar.

"Unfortunately, I was unable to attract many of the higher quality MS pilots that the Federation has at their disposal, that and the fact that a good majority of them are now dead, as you two should be well aware of. So, I had to make do with some of the second wave of MS pilots to fill in the holes in my division. They should learn quickly, however, as long as they have experienced pilots such as yourselves leading them." We both nodded, listening intently. Hearing that I'd be having some less than stellar wing mates in this new division did nothing to settle my nerves, if something was to happen.

"And for what we thought originally, we were not expecting as heavy as a resistance as we have, recently. The original aim was just to take out the occasional pirates that we've been seeing more of lately. However..." I took a drag, Tasha lighting up another one, both of us just staring at him. The word "However" stuck out in my head instantly. Did he mean...

"...it does appear that the new pilots in our division will be receiving combat experience, quite soon." I just held my cigarette in front of me, knowing damn well what he meant. It wasn't over...I spoke up, Tasha being the relatively quiet one in a situation such as this.

"You mean that we have a situation." He nodded, smiling.

"Yes, that much is correct, Evans. Commander Harding did not want to activate God's Hammer this soon, originally he wanted to activate in a month in order to provide better on hand training for the new pilots, and crews...but we have come across information that requires immediate action." I could see that Tasha was balling up her fist, and the look on her face conveyed that she was very excited to hear this coming out of his mouth.

"What exactly is the situation, sir?" He looked to her, almost looking taken back by her enthusiasm.

"We...have recently found out from an informant that there is a small fleet still operating in Side 5, the Shoal Zone area. Restricted airspace. We are not exactly sure of the numbers of ships, or any MS compliments they have...but it is estimated that they have at least three ships in the area. Unfortunately, as you know...we have not been able to implement gunsats in the area as of yet, so we are not sure of their numbers or location. However, it is known that they are intending on hostile action. Exactly what caliber of operations they are attempting, is also unknown...so basically, the situation is that we have some Zeon loyalists that are intending to do some damage to our operations in some degree...we have to put a cork in that bottle." I felt a bit uneasy, taking in all he had to say, the cigarette in my hand just continuing to burn unattended. Tasha looked very well ready to head right out the door and to her suit.

"Great news. Do you think they still have a MS compliment left?" He looked over to her again, somewhere caught in-between smiling and looking as if he was wondering what he had ended up getting from the depot.

"I do not know, however...all three confirmed ships are of the Musai class. I believe you are aware of what that would entail." She nodded; looking about the happiest I had seen her since after Perzun. As far as I knew, she wasn't the type that would be comfortable just making the rounds on patrol, she had something burning inside, something she couldn't settle in any other way. Piloting was her way out, combat more precisely.

"Yes...quite well, sir." He looked over to me, nodding after listening to her. He seemed to have picked up on my silence.

"And you, son? I'm aware you decided to stay on as a career officer, just like Rivers here. How do you feel about this?" I nodded at him. I couldn't lie, I did love that rush...not nessicarily the combat, not anywhere near the level that Tasha did. But still...in another life I would have been fine with flying a Medea again. Not now, though.

"I intend on fulfilling my duties and responsibilities to the fullest extent I am able, sir." He nodded, pointing at my cigarette, again seeming if he had picked up on my nervousness.

"Relax, son. You're a damned ace. I'm sure you know what to expect." I did, but still...for a fleeting moment, back in my head, I still wondered what life back home would have been like. That happened often and I always weighed it in on my decisions, however...that weight was miniscule in comparison to the one that I felt in the heart. I had to continue. I finally took another drag, smiling.

"In that event, sir...I fully intend to kill them all." He looked at me, stubbing out his cigar. He looked rather pleased.

"Excellent, son, that was what I wanted to hear. But, to be honest, however...we still have to be modest in our actions, here. We don't want to a cause another war; we want to end these sorts of things before they begin. So our main objective here is to force surrender on their part. If they refuse to surrender, then it is on your prerogative as my pilots to deal with the situation as you see fit. We must give them that chance to see the error of their ways, however." We both nodded, realizing that would likely be the protocol. A Federation act of violence on some innocent Zekes due to a misunderstanding definitely would be cause for someone on the other side to want to take up arms again.

"And so, that is all we know at the moment, and all that can be said as far as we will be handling this currently. As far as the operation..." He stood up, starting to walk to one of the boxes to the left of his desk.

"...and as far as where you two will take a part in it, we will be departing tomorrow morning, at five hundred hours, on the EFSF Indignation. Rivers, you will be in command of the 03rd MS Team..." He continued as he ruffled through the box, pulling out what looked like a pair of boots.

"...your wingmen will be Ensign Nathan Sellers, and Ensign Michael Reed." We both looked at each other, shocked. Tasha had been my wing mate since we'd been flying.

"Sir, you mean..." He looked at her, continuing to pull out more clothing out of the box, all green in color.

"Evans, you'll be assigned to the 01st MS Team, with Commander Allen Brunner and Lieutenant JG Alexander Nash. I'm aware of your history together, but I need to plug the holes in my division first." We both nodded again, realizing this was truth. At either rate, we both answered in unison again.

"Sir, yes, sir!" He smiled as he walked over, handling a bundle of clothing to Tasha first, and then me.

"Excellent. Also, here are your new uniform sets. I hope that you'll like them." He continued smiling, reaching out his hand to shake ours. We obliged.

"And with that business attended to...later tonight, at two thousand hours we are having a departure party. Maybe it will get the two of you to relax a bit more. I hope that you attend." I nodded, Tasha going to stub out her cigarette.

"I definitely will." Tasha nodded with me, and Rodecker nodded one last time.

"That is all, then. Dismissed." We saluted, heading out the door to our new home.

**EFSF Salamis Indignation, February 1st, UC0080 ****  
****Officer's Quarters, Room 4, 1900 Hours ****  
****Ensign Rick Evans**  
I found myself very much liking the new uniform, much better than the blue one I'd had for the past year. Green just suits me. That, and these were very nice dress boots, as well. Solid, shiny black, not a single scuff on them. I spent a little bit of time admiring myself in front of the mirror, until Tasha stepped out of the bathroom, clad in the new uniform herself. Green seemed to suit her better as well, much better than that pink uniform. She looked stunning, and damn good in that miniskirt.

"Oh my, Tasha...you look great." She looked over to me, shaking her head as she pulled down the white leggings into her boots.

"No, I don't..." I frowned, ever since she'd gotten those scars she'd been rather self conscious, even though there was no reason to. She wouldn't take a compliment, even if the alternative was a bullet to the head.

"Seriously, you do." She took another look up at me as she continued fussing with the leggings, as if I was a mad man.

"It's just the uniform, then." I let out a sigh, we'd been through this before and it'd be best to end it before it started.

"Well, it's you, not just the uniform, but whatever." She continued to look up at me, stopping in the middle of messing with her leggings.

"...thank you." It was quick, and blunt, but that'd been the girl I'd known for the past three months. Actually, I was surprised she even replied to the last thing to come out of my mouth, usually she didn't even grant me that much when it came to these matters. I smiled, sitting on the bed next to her.

"You're welcome. Hurry up, I don't want to miss my free drinks." She looked over to me as she continued messing around with her boots; shoving the leggings into them, letting out an angry grunt, taking them out and doing it all over again.

"I am, you don't know how much a bitch these things are to make them look right." I just sighed again, watching her continue struggling.

"I guess." I laid down, looking up at the solitary light that seemed to be burning rather dim, and then I heard an "Oh god" come out of her mouth. I sat up and looked at her again; she was focused on her left thigh.

"Oh, fucking hell..." I frowned, no idea what she was so concerned about.

"What's wrong?" She looked at me, obviously upset.

"Can you see this? Can you see it?" She started pointing at it, running her finger up and down her leg, but I still couldn't see what she was talking about.

"What?" She looked a little relieved, at least for my ignorance. She still kept her focus down on her leg.

"My scar...it's so big, and I can see it right through these..." I frowned again, god damn why did she care so much.

"I can't even tell. I doubt anyone else would either." She turned at me and gave me this death glare, I jumped a bit back just from the venom of it.

"Are you fucking blind? It's right there! Don't lie to me!" I just stood there in silence, not wanting to antagonize her after that. But as soon as it came her venom was gone, and she finally took her eyes off of her leg and back at me, a little tear welling up in left eye.

"...I'm sorry, Rick. I, I just...oh..." I shook my head, pulling her by the arm to my side, putting my arm around her.

"Its fine Tasha, it doesn't matter...it doesn't matter at all." She cuddled up to me, falling under my arm, still looking down at her leg again.

"No...I'm hideous..." I put my head down; it never did any good trying to argue with her.

"You aren't...I really wish you'd listen to me, sometimes." She threw my arm off her and grabbed me by the shoulders, looking me in the eyes. She did it for a reason, that gash on her forehead was always noticeable. I could see she had a few tears running down her cheeks.

"How can you say that, Rick? How can you say that to me when I have a face like this?" Oh, dear Tasha, and her little emotional outbursts. I just smiled at her as she continued to let the tears fall down her face, wiping them away for her, brushing her hair away, running my hand against her scar. She watched on, looking like she was defeated.

"Because you're beautiful, Tasha. It really doesn't matter at all to me." She grabbed my arm, looking like she was about to just burst out completely in tears. It was something I'd come to deal with from time to time, she was a strong girl, amazingly strong willed...but she had her moments. I couldn't say she was wrong in doing so.

"Oh..." She fell down into my chest, wrapping her arms around me, starting to sob. I could feel my uniform getting wet, but I didn't care. I put my arms around her, well content on just letting her cry it out. I really didn't need the drinks. I'd rather her be happy.

**EFSF Salamis Indignation, February 1st, UC0080 ****  
****Lounge, 2000 Hours**  
**Ensign Rick Evans**  
Tasha cried herself out after a few minutes or so. It always depressed me to be taking care of my commander like that, but she was always a bit of an emotional wreck off duty. It wasn't my duty to my superiors that made me look after her, either...as a pilot you always had that bond that made you look after your own. Something that you didn't share with anyone else. As a civilian I didn't understand it, what the word "close" meant, but now realized that it meant taking care of your fellows just like a brother, or in her case, a sister. And she hurt alot. I did too, though...many a night of us just sitting there in each other's arms before the war ended, before A Baoa Qu, wondering if either of us were going to live through it. Luckily, we did.

The recreation room on this particular Salamis seemed pretty spacious, in comparison to what I'd seen before. Then again, you weren't really concerned with a comfortable place to drink when you had Zakus destroying them by the dozens.

We sat down at a table together, and immediately I overheard one of the techs at a nearby table saying "Jesus christ...what the hell kind of meat grinder did they put that chick in?" to his buddy as they looked at us sitting down. I looked over to Tasha and it looked like she had overheard it too, starting to lay her head down on the table. I shot them a rather angry look but when I stood up to walk towards them, they both realized it and took off. I sat down again, reaching for my cigarette pack again, putting one in my mouth before Tasha interrupted me.

"...eh." I looked over to her, lighting up as I shook my head.

"They're just a couple assholes. Don't worry about them." She nodded, still not looking like she was convinced. She looked up to me though, pointing to the bar.

"Could you go get me a vodka tonic, Rick?" I let out a drag as I nodded to her, taking a look around. There wasn't anybody who really looked like they were worth talking to, yet.

"Yes, I could. I'll be right back then." As I started walking up, the bartender immediately noticed me and stared as I pulled up a seat.

"You look like you could use a drink, there." I nodded, looking back at her; she was more or less just sitting with her head down on the table.

"Eh. She could alot more, though. I need a vodka tonic for her. As for myself...please tell me, do you have White Label?" He nodded along until I mentioned the bourbon, and then gave a shocked look.

"White Label? How can you stand that shit?" I just laughed, shaking my head.

"What are you, forty, fifty? And you can't handle some bourbon?" He looked a bit offended, starting to pour the vodka tonic.

"Shit is still just shit, kid. But if you really want it..." I nodded, taking the drink from him.

"I do. White Label and cola. Short." He just gave me a disgusted look as he poured it out, and handed it to me.

"Drinks are on the house tonight, kid. Hope your hangover is worth it tomorrow." I nodded, carrying both the drinks back to our table.

"It is." Once I got back, I set out the vodka for her, waiting a moment to sip on mine before I sat down. Oh, damn it's always tasty. Once I got myself settled, I noticed there was a girl with glasses and a black bob cut staring at me, wearing the red beret; her nametag read Jaeger. From what the instructions from the uniform said, it stated that the beret was for MS pilot's wear only, sort of a badge of honor for us guys. I rose my hand up to wave her over, but she didn't reply, and just stood up and went to the bar herself. I shook my head at the rejection, and just kept sipping on my bourbon. Tasha looked over to me, her drink almost already gone.

"Shit, Tasha. You're done with that already?" She nodded, a little smile on her face.

"I'll need another." I frowned, sipping at my bourbon.

"Fucking hell...and I thought I was an alcoholic. I'll be back again." I rose up again and started making my way to the bar again, until I saw someone that made my stop in my tracks. She wasn't looking at me, but I could have recognized her just by that weird haircut of hers. Blonde, in-between long hair and a bob. When she looked my way she stopped in her tracks as well.

"...Evonne?" She ran up to me, her nametag reading Malady as she threw her arms around me, obviously a bit drunk. Of course, it had to be her.

"Rick...fucking Evans! I thought you were dead!" I smiled, putting an arm around her back. She'd been my escort pilot, when I was still flying the Medea. When the call came that there was need for MS pilots, we both put in for the transfer requests, and got accepted. And then...that was the last I saw of her, until now, her nearing spilling my drink.

"I...I'm quite well, Evonne. How are you?" She pointed her finger in my chest, looking like she was already too drunk to even look at me directly, but that was the Malady I knew. She smiled towards nothing in particular.

"I'm good. Hah, you son of a bitch...you made it through A Baoa Qu." I nodded, already wanting to down another shot or two before going into that topic.

"Looks like you did, too. How'd you end up here?" She finally managed to look me straight on, in-between stumbling to the left and then to the right.

"I...I had to keep pulling the trigger, you know? I gotta shoot some pirates or something." She made the handgun motion, right in my face, making the machine gun 'rat-a-tat-a-tat' noise, laughing at my response of making a step back.

"Hah. You know what I mean. You wouldn't be here either if you didn't." It wasn't something I'd like to discuss, but I nodded in regards to that as well.

"I do. Well, it's good to see you're flying my wing again. What team you in?" She nodded, pointing at her jacket sleeve, I could see she was meaning to point at the patch that read "04th MS" on it, but she completely missed and was pointing underneath it.

"04th. I'ma team leader now." I kind of recoiled in shock. They put her in charge of an MS team? They definitely had some holes to fill in the division if they made her team leader. She was a good pilot; there was no doubt about that, but...

"Hah, hah! You must be company leader now or something, right?" I shook my head, she just kept laughing.

"What? You at least gotta be a team commander. You're the leader guy!" Leader guy...wish I could say that in regards to myself. She started sipping the beer in her hand.

"No, I'm still just an Ensign." She nearly spit it back out on me, shocked. I guess we felt mutual.

"The fuck? You're an Ensign still? What?" I nodded again, looking back at Tasha; she was just still sitting with her head down on top of her arms, looking like she was staring off in the distance.

"Yes. I bailed from a GM at A Baoa Qu...the higher ups were not too happy about that." Evonne just shook her head, downing the rest of the beer she had in hand, crushing the can and setting it down so she could grab a new one, out of the three or four that she had already lined up. That was why I'd be hesitant to put her in command of a team, myself.

"Heh. Oh well, almost all the GMs we went out with got destroyed. We all shoulda got medals just for surviving that shit." I kind of agreed with the sentiment. Then again, I realized I was getting distracted with my current mission, the simpler one: get more drinks.

"Yes...hey, want to come and sit down with my wing mate Tasha? She could use the company." I pointed back towards her, Evonne barely following my directions, finally figuring out that I was pointing at the girl sitting by herself.

"Sure. I brought Brooke here but she's being a bitch, hah." I nodded, not knowing who she was talking about. At any rate, Evonne gathered up her beers and started heading over towards our table. With that accomplished, I continued on my way to the bar.

When I got there, that girl from earlier was still sitting there, Jaeger. I started to sit down next to her, but as soon as I did she gave me a distressed look and immediately got up to leave as I settled down. I shook my head, wondering what the problem was, but I figured that it didn't matter. I hit up the bartender again.

"Hey, hey! I need another White and Cola and another Vodka Tonic!" He looked back to me with a glass in his hand, looking rather annoyed.

"Alright. Why don't you get another tonic for that girl you're with? I watched her down that." I thought about it, and nodded.

"Actually, get me a tray. Two of each along with these ones." I put up the empties on the table, and he gave me a very annoyed look.

"Heh. I'm gonna make a killing off of you two when you're regulars here." He was right, but it was well worth the price.

"I guess. What's your name, anyway?" He looked at me as he poured the White and Colas, giving a nod of recognition."

"Harrell. Bobby Harrell. You're Evans?" I nodded as well, kind of wanting to think that my reputation was that well known, but knew that he just looked at my nametag.

"Yes. Rick Evans." He put the White and Colas down on the tray as he started up on the Vodka tonics, shaking his head.

"Whatever works. As long as you don't get me killed, I don't care what your name is." I felt a bit stung by the tone of his voice, but I could understand why he didn't want to get to know his customers other then the business basis.

"Sure. Just pour me the drinks when I save your ass, then." He nodded, looking like he wanted to laugh but held it in. As he put the drinks down he shot me another annoyed glance.

"We'll just see how long you last out there." I nodded, taking a glance back, Tasha and Evonne seemed to be hitting it off quite well, Evonne letting Tasha have one of her beers. At least, it was nice to have good company. I figured it was time to let the man be.

"Well, thank you." I snapped my fingers as I started to walk off, as a last minute insult...the guy had been an asshole. Despite that, the trip back to the table went pretty well, and it was looking like Tasha was in much better spirits now. Evonne had that effect.

"Thank god, I needed those...why so many?" I smiled, double fisting two of the white and colas.

"So we can get drunk." She smiled back, taking one of the vodka tonics as I sipped off both of my bourbons. Evonne looked at me with a rather content expression on her face.

"That's what we do, right?" I nodded to her, Tasha laughing for a moment before she sipped on her mixed drink.

"So you two flew together before you flew with me, Rick?" I nodded again, looking at the both of them.

"Evonne was my escort a good part of the time when I was a Medea pilot. She shot down more than a few Dopps that were on my tail." Evonne was counting on her fingers, obviously a bit too inebriated to do so. Eventually she settled with four, holding her hand up with her thumb down to show Tasha.

"That's right...four. As a Tin Cod pilot. Two as a GM pilot...and I'ma get alot more when we find these fuckers." She smiled again, slumping down in her seat, beer in hand. She looked pretty happy, and then looked over to me, a puzzled look on her face.

"How many you'd shoot down, Rick?" I looked at her; I didn't even need to think about it to answer.

"I shot down seven. Four Zakus, three Rick Doms. Tasha got nine." She gave me a look of complete shock, and then the same one to Tasha.

"Seven! You're shitting me." I shook my head, sipping on my bourbon again.

"That's about right." She shook her head in response, looking like she was in-between absolute shock and being impressed.

"Why the hell'd you need me to escort your shit?" I smiled, laughing a bit...but reached for my pack of cigarettes. That was a whole story in itself.

"You really can't shoot down a Dopp with a giant cargo plane like a Medea, now can you?" She nodded, while I lit up.

"I guess. But...holy shit. You're good." I gave her a smirk as I blew out my first drag. Tasha looked at the both of us, kind of lost in-between the conversation.

"That's why they call me the Green Death. I hold my own. But..." I pointed to Tasha, taking the time to take another sip off my bourbon.

"...Tasha's a much better MS pilot then I could ever hope to be. And she never stepped into a cockpit before she got in the GM. She's amazing behind the sticks." Tasha smiled with the compliment, already having downed her second drink and was almost finished with her third. Evonne nodded, pulling out her own cigarette.

"I think...I'ma like this. Looks like you two can't get over it. Hah, hah...I can't. I gotta keep a Zeke in my sights...it isn't right when I don't." It was the reason we were here, of course. I took a drag, trying to think about exactly the reasons why but found myself not wanting to think about the past. It just remained one thing - I had to shoot down anything that had the logo of the Principality. Who gives a damn that the war's over.

"Yes." She nodded, blowing the smoke from her first drag straight into my face on accident. She tried waving it away, but it looked like she was trying to slap me instead, nowhere near accomplishing that mission.

"We'll get them. They're everywhere, Rick. We'll kill'em all!" She hiccupped, near falling over in her seat. I figured it she was just a bit too drunk to really carry on a serious talk in regards to that topic.

"Yeah, yeah...we'll kill them all, Evonne." I kept sipping on the bourbon, finishing with the second, in-between my pauses to continue smoking my cigarette. As I looked over to grab my second drink lined up I could see that Tasha was already done with all of hers.

"Damn, Tasha." She nodded, pointing at the bar. She already looked a bit sauced.

"You...stay here, you. I'm going to get more." She stood up, taking a second to get her balance straight, and then took the tray with her, smiling as she looked back to me. I smiled back, this was good for her. She never really had the time to just sit and relax, with the stress of the last month or so. It hadn't been a good month, at all. I'd carry her back to the room if I had to. At any rate, it looked like we'd found a good enough home, for now.

While she was away me and Evonne kept drinking, me finishing my third drink. As I did, I felt someone grab my shoulder; I looked back and saw a man who looked like he was in his mid-twenties holding it, short blonde hair under his beret. His nametag read Nash.

"So...you're the Rick Evans guy, right?" I nodded, and he took a seat next to me, raising his eyebrow a bit.

"Yes...you're Alexander Nash?" He nodded, looking like he was cynical of his new wingman. I went to put out my hand, but he didn't respond to it, so I retracted, feeling quite unwelcome.

"Yeah, I am. The Green Death, eh...heard you helped out some Zeke at Perzun." I was taken aback, so was Evonne. How did he know...

"My team worked with a defector to take out some turrets. Adam Burr. He didn't make it." He shook his head, lighting a cigarette.

"Same thing. The Zeke's are nothing but pieces of shit, I'm amazed that you and your little girl over there even agreed to do that." He pointed to Tasha, who was now on her way back from the bar.

"I didn't have a choice in the matter, neither did she. The higher ups thought he was a reliable informant. He did have accurate numbers on the turrets on the N sector." He shook his head again, taking a drag.

"You could have just shot him down yourself." I shook my own head, taking a drag myself. Evonne now looked pretty uncomfortable, herself.

"...I would have, if I didn't go through what happened that day. He saved alot of lives." Nash just laughed, blowing smoke in my face, an obvious taunt.

"And got a lot more killed when his bombs didn't go off as planned? You should have known better than that." Tasha sat back down next to me, getting into the conversation herself.

"Well, I'd have killed him, if I wouldn't have gotten a court martial." He laughed again, blowing his exhaust back into both of our faces.

"You're kidding yourselves. You're too soft, both of you...and I get to fly with you, shithead." He pointed at me, looking angry.

"You just don't go and shoot me down, now. The moment I think you are, I got a beam with your name on it." He got up, looking at me with a glare. Tasha was biting her lip, but I put my hand on her shoulder. I could handle it myself.

"Well then, Nash...just don't end up behind me with a gun in my back. I'll win that fight." He shook his head, starting to walk off. As he made a few steps away, he turned his head back to me, blowing out more smoke.

"I'll be looking to our first mission, then." He continued to walk off, Tasha looking at me with a concerned look.

"...who was that?" I finished up my fourth drink; I guess she could tell I was feeling a bit provoked.

"My new wingman. And he looks like he has a problem with me already." She nodded, taking a cigarette out of her pack, lighting it.

"So they already know about that..." Evonne looked at the both of us, like she was looking at two crazy people.

"You two helped out a Zeke?" I nodded to her, Tasha nervously taking a drag behind me.

"He was a defector, apparently. He set up some explosives on some beam turrets on the N sector on Perzun, we went down with him to take them all out. They shot us the hell up...half the bombs didn't go off. We managed to take the rock, but it was a lot harder than it should have been." She nodded, still looking a bit disturbed by the information she'd just heard, drinking another beer.

"Well, damn Rick...I don't know. That's...fucked up." I nodded, I hadn't agreed with it either. Tasha sure as hell didn't. And it looked someone was already holding it against us.

"As I said, though, to that guy. Me and Tasha didn't have any choice in the matter. We had to cover the guy so he could set off his explosives. Wasn't our fault that they didn't work like planned." She nodded.

"Well, I can't blame you then. Our command's...pretty fucking stupid, sometimes." We'd all seen that in the past, and were taken as basic fact by this point. How else could you say that flying straight towards an asteroid with a complete beam net around it with a Zeke telling you his explosives are sure to work is a good plan. In the meantime, I looked over to Tasha, who shook her head.

"I don't want to talk about it. Here." She put a couple more White and colas in front of me, smiling.

"Oh, well then..." I looked to the tray; she had another three vodka tonics laid out in front of her.

"You really going to finish all of those?" She nodded, smiling again, taking one in her free hand.

"Fucking hell, I am!" I smiled, so did Evonne.

"That's a good girl!" They both clinked their drinks...heh, maybe they'd get along. I joined in the toast, just in time for a lady to come by, putting down another tray for us, lined with about twelve shots or so, some sort of dark rum from what it looked like. She smiled as she set it down.

"With regards, from Commander Rodecker." It looked like a good enough house warming gift. I pointed them out, both Tasha and Evonne looking very pleased.

"Well, shall we?" Evonne nodded, grinning at the beam, even though she could barely keep her head above the table.

"Hell yeah." Tasha also nodded, sharing the sentiment.

"Indeed." I nodded myself, all three of us taking our respective shot.

"So, what do we drink to?" Evonne held her shooter up first.

"To God's Hammer!" Me and Tasha agreed, it was a proper toast. After all, we could continue our war now. We both rose up our glasses.

"It's settled, then." We clinked them.

"To God's Hammer!"

**EFSF Indignation, February 1st, UC0080 ****  
****Corridors - Living Quarters, 2230 Hours ****  
****Ensign Rick Evans**  
I couldn't even see straight, but I felt damn good. I had all I wanted, the bottle of booze in my left hand and my right around her back. She looked over at me, the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face.

"Oh god, I'm so fucking drunk!" For whatever reason, it was the funniest thing I had ever heard in my life, and so appropriately started laughing uncontrollably, both of us starting to fall over. She caught the wall with her shoulder though, balancing me with her left arm around my back. We took another look at each other, and just started laughing again, this time falling down to the ground. It didn't even matter, though. We just sat there and stared at each other, laughing, clinking our bottles together. Somehow we managed to get back up, and we started stumbling around again.

"Rick, Rick, we gotta drink more. Get me another drink..." I looked over at her, laughing in her face.

"Idiot, you're holding a bottle in your hand." She pressed her face to mine, laughing with me.

"Oh, fuck you. I need another vodka, or a beer...anything..." I just laughed, putting my bottle down and putting hers up to her face.

"Drink up then!" She obliged, chugging as much as she could. I pulled it up after I saw her starting to start choking on it, not wanting to drown her with booze. As soon as I pulled it out of her hand she threw her other arm around me, forcing me against the wall.

"Thank you! Come on, we gotta drink...we're in a new unit!" She forced my mouth open so she could do the same to me, pouring my bourbon in it. As it went down, it burned horribly, but I managed to keep it down. I couldn't let her out drink me, of all people. But, ahh...I was feeling too good.

"I know, I know..." She force me to drink even more, I could just see two or three bottles right in front of me, from what it looked like. After a while she pulled it away, I could see barely that it was empty.

"Yeah, that's right...we're gonna kill some zekes...we're awesome! Awesome!" She could barely even hold me against the wall anymore, just laughing with her head down. She fell onto me, just holding me in her arms.

"Damn, I'm so fucked up...mmm..." I just smiled, barely being able to pick up my bottle again, trying to hold her at the same time. I just smiled, I knew I was.

"Rick, you drunk? Rick?" I forced her to keep walking with me; she was leaning on my shoulder as we kept going. I don't think we even had any place to go to, really. I couldn't even remember where our room was. But we just kept walking.

"I'm...I'm pretty drunk." She looked back at me, shaking her head.

"No, you're not." I smiled, and she forced us against a viewport, I looked back and could see the Earth, way out in the distance. As soon as she noticed that I was looking out it, she forced her face up against the glass.

"Oh, Rick...we got to go back, there...I want to see the lighting again...I wanna see it with you..." I smiled....she'd only been there once, and that was for MS training. Oh, she was so afraid the first time she saw it; she thought it was some new weapon the zekes were using. It was hilarious.

"We will, I want to..." She looked at me, and then put her cheek up to my mouth.

"Tell me, what do you want..." I put my head up to hers, wondering what it was myself. Then again, I really couldn't that much, or even stand up for the matter.

"I...I wanna go home, sometime. I want to see home..." She took her head back, looking me in the eyes. She looked like she knew what I meant. We started slumping down, underneath the port.

"Would you...would you take me with you? Please take me with you when you go home..." I smiled, holding her closer to me; I didn't even care about the bottles anymore.

"Yes, I want you...I want you to come with me...its beautiful back home...I want you to see it..." She nestled up to me, sitting in my lap.

"Oh...Rick..." I smiled, letting her rest against my shoulder. I couldn't even imagine this was happening...oh, the wonders of being drunk...I forced us back up, though, we had to keep moving.

"I want to see it all...I want to see home, I don't have one...I want one..." I kept us moving, basically carrying her along as she stumbled, nearly falling over a few times.

"We'll see home, we'll go there..." She managed to keep her balance long enough so that we could finally make it back to our room, me having to put my face right up to the name plate to see it was labeled "4". We stumbled inside after I messed with the door a bit, her knocking me down onto my bed. She cuddled up next to me, putting her head on my shoulder. It felt amazing, all of it. The bed felt great, better than anything I'd slept on in months, an actually decent mattress...not that it mattered, I just felt like I was floating in the air. And then I had her, right under my arm...damn the fraternization policies, damn how afraid I was about asking about it. I had the liquid courage, I was just gonna tell her how I felt...

"Hey, Tasha..." I looked down at her, looking at her just breathing on my chest, feeling every time her heart beated against mine...she didn't answer me.

"Tasha!" I shook her with my arm that was on her back, but after a second I realized it didn't matter, she already passed out on me.

"Fuck..." I just put my head back down on the pillow, but I could only smile. I guess there'd be another time...she'd make it through, we'd both would. It was the only thing that kept us alive...but even that didn't matter to me at the moment. All that did was that she was with me. I guess that was what mattered the most. At any rate, I couldn't even keep my eyes open, so I laid back, content with falling asleep. She'd be there in the morning...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 **  
**Perzun Surface, January 15th, January UC0080 **  
**Ensign Rick Evans  
"Fucking hell! Rick, watch your six!" I turned on the back view switch on my main panel; a Rick Dom was sneaking up behind me and Andrew. On the left, Tasha was facing my GM, starting to turn around to bring her Beam Spray to bear on the incoming. I boosted forward without even knowing what was in front of me, skirting over to the right as I watched the Dom fire a bazooka round towards my back.

"Jesus...that was close Ri...ahhh!" I looked to the left monitor again, Tasha's suit was out of view now but I could only watch on as Peltier's GM started to disintegrate on him.

"Fucking hell! Andrew!" I turned my GM to face towards his, putting its arms out to push his out of the way of any more incoming rounds. As I did so I could see that Tasha and the Dom were in the middle of a firefight, both of them looking at about equal footing. Turning to face my front panel again, Andrew's suit did not look good at all, the left vent was completely gone, the torso warped around it, the left leg completely melted away with the hit. I opened a video feed.

"Andrew! What's your status?" I didn't get an answer for a few seconds, until he opened up his on feed on my end, the whole front left of his helmet covered in blood, both of his arms down and positioned to his left. He was moaning loudly in pain.

"My cockpit breached, ahh...fuck! My leg!" I shook my head, continuing to monitor both situations on the left panel. Tasha was starting to win her fight, two shots starting to rip apart the Dom that had hit Andrew; and then Andrew screaming and holding his leg, jerking wildly in his seat toward the left. I couldn't even his face; the visor was completely stained with blood. His flight suit had a large splatter pattern on it as well, the bottom half of his chest was covered, dripping down.

"Calm down, we'll get you out of this..." I already knew I was just trying to sympathize with the guy; there was no possible way that we were going to get off this rock; now that those charges failed to go off. The beam turrets were a bitch to get through just to get down on here, going back up was suicide. On the right, I saw the friendly Zaku floating nearby, Burr. It started pointing forwards, several steady streams of yellow light flying upwards in the distance.

"There's going to be two more sets of turrets lining here, we take those out and we can get your man back alive." I nodded, it would have to be only way. Peltier would have to wait until we could accomplish that. If he could last that long...my head was ringing with the sounds of his screams echoing inside my helmet. I knew Tasha could, too...her yelling was starting to echo back and forth in my helmet as well.

"I got your man, Andrew! You stay alive for me!" I turned my view back to where Tasha was at; her suit starting to fly back towards us...the Dom she had been engaged with was starting to fall back onto the asteroid, in flames and shards of metal. I felt a bit of a smile come across my face, she had become damn good behind the controls...anything she came across was sure to be killed as soon as it flew in-between her sights. As she settled down on the ground next to our suits, she brought her GM's eye facing straight towards the Zaku, glowing green as it recognized its former target. I knew inside that suit, she had her own reservations about flying with the man.

"How many are left? The Zaku turned to its left, the monoeye glowing as it recognized her GM.

"Over there, there's still twelve. If we conserve our ammo we'll more than plenty to take out all of them. Just hope that your other team behind us was able to take out the other firing line behind our position." I could sense more than a little harsh tone in his voice as he started wondering out loud about the 05th MS. For being a defector, he was sure seemed to doubt in our abilities. On his part, the 02nd and 03rd would still be around if the charges he supposedly set would have gone off as planned. I was wondering why we hadn't been vaporized yet, myself. We'd gotten down pretty safe...well...

"Fuck! Fuck! Ahhh! Fuck!" I turned back to my left panel; Andrew was still writhing around in pain on the feed to my suit. I was hoping he'd still make it back. I didn't think Tasha would be able to handle it if he didn't. He just had to wait a bit longer...

"Wait, fuck! In front!" I found myself rapidly focusing in on my front panel; the view was filled by the flares of six thrusters, all bearing down on our position. I responded by throwing my hands down, the controls responding by forcing my GM back, bracing itself for a boosted jump forwards to come.

"I count three! Rick, follow me, Andrew lay your suit down!" I turned to my left for the slightest second, but by then Tasha's GM was already out of view on that panel and now on the front panel and flying forwards towards the Doms, three beams flying from the muzzle of her Beam Spray. I responded by forcing the control sticks forward, my GM replying by throwing itself from its braced position, flying forwards straight into the lead Dom's line of fire. That didn't matter to me; I fully intended to fire first.

"Evans, watch your three 'o clock!" I found myself scanning the right side of my front panel, the Dom on the right starting to boost itself to get itself into position to start firing at me and Tasha both. I didn't have the time to respond, barely managing to even recognize the threat this posed...but suddenly the Zaku was filling up my entire view, shells from its machine gun flying by on my right panel.

"Adam! What are you..." I managed to force the controls to the left, the AMBAC replying by throwing the right arm to the side, my GM starting a roll to the left. As his Zaku left my front panel and back onto the right, I could see that the Dom was starting to be rocked with the hits on its armor, its body leaning backwards. As I kept my target in sight, I could only watch on as Burr's target started firing its own gun at the Zaku as a last stand...the Zaku being raked instantly, several hits landing on its chest. It started lurching back, out of my view on my right.

"Shit! Adam!" I found myself starting to turn my view around to face his Zaku, trying to view the damage to his suit at the same time I was trying to the lead Dom to fall in my sights. As far as his Zaku went, it didn't look good. There seemed to have been several shots that would have breached the cockpit.

"Rick, watch yourself!" I threw my eyes back to my left panel, Tasha's suit filling the view; on the far right of that panel I could see that she had downed another one, their left wing mate. The lead Dom started to reply to the loss of both of its mates by throwing it's bazooka to bear on its left shoulder, focusing on Tasha's suit. I wouldn't let him get the shot, though...I managed to get him on the targetor...another second and he'd be dead center in my sights...and then it started lurching backwards, out of the targetors view, MG rounds knocking it around. Knocking the targetor back to the left in my cockpit I looked back to my right panel, the Zaku starting to boost past me again.

"Both of you watch yourselves. I don't need all three of my escorts killed." I felt a little tense at his return, he hadn't died after all. As the Zaku started boosting forwards the now wounded Dom, Tasha's continued forwards, not content with our new friend to end up finishing off the lead Dom. I was, though, throwing my vision down towards the bottom panel underneath the front panel, Andrew's suit still lying on the ground where we had left him. It worked well enough, his suit appeared to have been destroyed to anyone flying by, but the entire time we had been engaged I had his yelling going through the inside of my helmet. It hadn't been pleasant.

"You can go fuck yourself, zeke! I don't care if you are on our side..." I focused back in on what was happening on front of me, the Zaku managing to dispatch the Dom with a heat hawk to the chest. Tasha's suit just floated watching the spectacle as I did, but I didn't watch on with the passion I knew she was feeling...I could only imagine it took every single bit of determination on her part to not pull the trigger on him.

"I do think I saved the life of your distracted wingman, Rivers. So I think you can go fuck yourself, feddie." I could hear a bit of a guttural roar coming out of her, I knew as soon as he said that it wouldn't settle well with her at all. I didn't want to live up to his definition of being distracted, however, and so focused my view on where the right Dom had been....it wasn't there anymore, and if it had floated down...it would have been on the surface at this point...

"Shit, where's that other Dom?" I started boosting towards my two allies, throwing my eyes towards all three panels, not finding any trace of that one. The other two were floating dead, out of battle...but that other one, it still had to be active...

"I don't see anything, Rick...you got him, didn't you Burr?" She didn't sound convinced it what she had just said, her suit starting to turn around in place; inside it I knew she was throwing herself at all sorts of twisted angles to get a full look around her surroundings. Burr's Zaku just floated in place, in front of her.

"I did, Rivers. He couldn't have survived a hit like that, I hit him dead mass." That was true, he did...but as far as I knew, the Dom was one damned tough suit. I thought it would take more than a few rounds to take one down. I guess if a zeke was confident that he had brought down one of his own suits, though...I instantly found my doubts to be correct as soon as it appeared from behind a outcropping on the surface on the asteroid, firing its own machine gun at the Zaku from underneath, the rounds tearing through it like it was made of butter. I think both me and Tasha both reacted in horror at the sight of him being ripped apart like that.

"Below us, look out Rick! I'm engaging!" She started boosting down towards him, my fears being that she'd be hit by the incoming rounds that Dom would be firing...but he didn't get the time to correct his aim, her suit bearing down on the beast, easily overshadowing her GM despite being below her. I fired my own thrusters in order to come in from behind it, not wanting my friend to meet the same fate as that poor bastard in the Zaku. As I kept pacing towards the Dom, I realized that as she was starting to bring her bring her saber down, he was boosting back, reaching for the long rod on its back.

"Wait, Tasha, parry that!" I couldn't even stop moving forwards if I wanted to, the GM seemed to move at a snail's pace in regards to what was unfolding behind me. Before she could even comprehend what I had said, the Dom was already slicing through her GM's elbow, the whole arm with beam saber in hand harmlessly sailing behind it. And then it was starting to bring it back up, aiming to swipe out her cockpit in one blow. I wouldn't let him, though...

"You fucking bastard!" The force of slamming into its back rocked me violently forward against my restraints, but I had accomplished what I had intended. Tasha flew safely out of the way behind me, watching on as I continued forward with my momentum...the Dom still unaware of the imminent death that was behind it...the last thing it would see if it managed to turn around would be the green flash that killed it...

I brought it in to my sights as it turned to face me; the crosshairs dead set again its chest. The only thing that went through my mind was to pull the trigger. I depressed my thumb, doing that over and over again, the beams flowing towards my target, ever so slowly...my voice rising...

EFSF Indignation, February 2nd, UC0080 **  
**Officer's Recreation Room, 0800 Hours **  
**Ensign Rick Evans  
I felt a rather hot sensation on my thumb and on my lap, and upon realizing that I yelled out in response. Once I looked down, I realized that for whatever reason, I was now holding a coffee cup sideways, my thumb inside it, making the motion needed to kill. The liquid inside was now dribbling out at a slow drip, my thumb rapidly going left and right down into my closed fist. The motion needed to kill...but the trigger was missing, and now I had a cup's worth of hot coffee now burning my groin. To say I was unsatisfied was to say the least.

"Jesus christ, Rick...what's wrong with you?" I managed to shake my head around a bit to get rid of the hangover, and look to the right to see Evonne, who was staring at me with her mouth open. I felt a bit awkward now.

"Ahh...shit...I, I..." She shook her head, taking a sip of coffee herself; a pack of cigarettes next to her, one ready to be lit.

"...did you have a flashback, or something? Seriously, you just spent the last minute or two yelling with your eyes closed and you were holding that cup sideways with your thumb it." I bit my bottom lip, trying to pull out the napkins out of the dispenser on the table to deal with the fact that my pants were now soaking wet. At the same time, I was reaching for my own pack with my free right hand.

"I...did, yeah. I guess...I don't know." As I felt that I had enough napkins to decently hide the fact that I had spilt coffee on myself, I put my left arm down on the table, trying to hold my head up so I could light the cigarette now dangling out of my mouth. To say I felt like shit was an understatement.

"Damn...you were really freaking the fuck out, Rick. I was actually kind of afraid there. You were yelling out 'Dom! Dom!' and 'Fucking bastard!' and shit like that. People actually got up and left." I didn't reply to that immediately as I was having a hard enough time as it was trying to get the damn cigarette lit as I could barely hold my right hand stable enough to even get the lighter next to it. As soon as I did manage to get it lit, I looked over to her again.

"I...thought I was at Perzun, again." She looked at me, a puzzled look on her face, taking a drag at the same time I did. God, my head was killing me now...how much did I have to drink last night?

"...fucking weird, that's all I have to say. Sorry Rick." I nodded at her, in-between the thumping sensation that was going on inside my head. Wait, this isn't my room...

"Uhh... Where are we? Where's Tasha?" She looked at me, almost as if I was stupid or something. Couldn't really say she'd be wrong if she thought that.

"...seriously? We're in the rec room, I just pulled you out of yours. Looked like you two had a good night...you must be black out drunk still." I was wondering over what she had to say, still cringing from the pain that was waving over my forehead. Fun night? Fun as in...

"...what do you mean?" She looked at me, laughing after she exhaled some smoke.

"She was sprawled out all on top of you, and you still had a half bottle full and an empty one lying on the bed with you two." I exhaled myself, trying to patch what had happened together. I remembered that we were both stumbling around trying to get back, and that...but once we got back to the room, I couldn't even remember. It wasn't there. We went through a whole bottle and a half by ourselves?

"Fuck...how'd I end up here?" She smiled, pointing at her coffee cup.

"Well, I went in to see if you were up, and I found you just laying there with your eyes wide open. I figured you needed a pick me up and dragged you here." I frowned, laying my head on the table. God, I couldn't move if I wanted too.

"She still there, then?" She nodded, taking another drag.

"Yeah. God you two were rowdy last night. Carrying on and downing shots one after another. The bartender had to boot you two, you were that bad." I felt a little bit of a smile come across my face, before the pain made me cringe again. I forced a little bit of a laugh out.

"Eh...it's what we do. Their fault for making it on the house." She laughed, patting my head.

"You drunk asshole. She was pretty belligerent too. Pity about those scars, she wouldn't stop going on and on about them to everybody. She was pretty nice to me, though." I nodded, taking the insult as a compliment and the compliment for Tasha on her behalf.

"You know me, Evonne. I can't live without booze. I'll tell her you thought she was nice." She nodded, stubbing out her cigarette. I realized I had one dying question, however.

"Umm, Evonne...the empty bottle, was it..." She nodded again, finishing up her coffee.

"It was the White Label." I instantly put my palm up to cover my face, the pain this time being a mix between physical and realization.

"Fucking hell!"

EFSF Indignation, February 2nd, UC0080 **  
**Corridor - Living Quarters, 0830 Hours **  
**Ensign Rick Evans **  
**After a while I managed to force myself up and walk to my room again, upon opening the door I found Tasha lying on my bed, her bottle of vodka in her hand and a smile on her face, in a position like she was being cradled. I guess she was still under the impression I was underneath her. In any event, I left a little note next to her, stating basically "Out seeing the sights. I'll be back later.". Being content with that, I left again, Malady waiting for me outside the room.

"Well then, did you meet anyone else last night? Or at least, remember meeting them?" I thought about it a good while, then shook my head. We started to walk off, no particular destination, not that there really was any at this point.

"No...just you, Rodecker, the bartender...Harrell, I think his name was? Then Nash...and there was this one girl there, but we didn't talk." She looked at me, confused.

"What'd she look like?" I tried to think about it, I just barely remembered. God I must have been smashed last night.

"Well, she had black hair, kind of long...glasses. That's all I remember." She looked at me again, almost as if I was an idiot.

"You mean Brooke? My wing mate?" I had no idea. Then again, I vaguely remembered that her nametag started with a J, or at least that was right if I wasn't imagining things.

"Wait...does her last name start with a J? Like Ja...Jag..." She nodded.

"Yeah. Brooke Jaeger." I nodded, but was confused how to pronounce it.

"You mean, Jagger?" She shook her head.

"The J is silent, or something like that. But that's her." I nodded, remembering now.

"She seemed a bit annoyed, last night, from what I remember." She kept walking with me, both of us nearly reaching the end of the hall.

"She's...got some issues, to put it mildly. Apparently her mom was in that colony they dropped." Damn, that would have been a horrible way to go.

"Huh. But...didn't they gas them before they dropped it?" She nodded, thinking it over.

"Yeah, they did...but either way, she's dead. Brooke ended up in some orphanage or something like that afterwards, and now she's flying for us. She's a newbie, though. I don't think she can handle it." I nodded, thinking it over...that must have put her around eighteen or so. And I thought that they were pushing it putting me and Tasha in the first wave of MS pilots, despite our age. I couldn't imagine just barely being an adult and flying a GM, must be a hell of alot more intimidating.

"There's no way she could be a MS pilot. How old is she?" Evonne laughed, looking forward.

"She's eighteen. But, apparently, got good scores on her operating tests and passed all the simulations and actual flight tests. So she's good enough, I guess." I nodded; I supposed that was all true...but the simulations and the flights in the GM trainer meant shit. I found out that much.

"Heh. Well, good luck with that one, Evonne." She nodded, seeming to share in my disbelief.

"I hope so. She's too weak. She's breaking down all the time and shit. Complete nervous wreck. I don't think she'll pull the trigger, let alone take the thing off of autopilot." I nodded, having had that experience with some wing mates in the past. Then again, I had my own complete wreck of a commander the last three battles I'd been in, and she'd turned out fine as a pilot.

"Maybe you're being a bit too harsh. Doesn't take too much time to figure out getting shot at is bad." She just kept a blank stare at me, as if I was being a bit idiotic. We ended up reaching the elevator, her opening it up for me.

"I'm not harsh if I think it's going to be a liability. You know that. I saw way too many Tin Cods go down without even taking a single shot since the pilot was afraid of a single fucking Dopp. I don't think that's going to be any different here. I don't want to pick up an idiot's slack." I nodded along with her, I'd known that myself, but just didn't pay that much mind. The last few battles I'd been in, any and all wing mates ended up more or less interchangeable, and dead. Only me and Tasha were the surviving ones. Well, there was Peltier...but who knew how well that guy was doing now.

"Eh. Well, damn. Usually you're the optimistic one." She laughed a bit, closing the elevator door as I entered, pressing the button to head down.

"Yeah, but everyone here seems to be nothing but bitches. Well, except you. I dunno about that Tasha lady." I nodded, the elevator starting to go downwards, several lights passing upwards, each indicating a level down.

"Thank you. As far as Tasha...she's more vicious then me, a lot more." Evonne laughed, shaking her head.

"And you call yourself the Green Death?" I nodded, but it was to be expected. Just about any other pilot, mechanic, officer, bartender...everybody else wondered why I had the nickname, but why Tasha was the one with more kills.

"Well, I just named myself after the paint job. It's more the suit's name then mine." She laughed even harder, shaking her head again.

"That's the suit's name? You named your GM? You are fucking weird. What are you, then? The Red Comet?" I shook my head, but had to laugh. I kind of opened up myself to all kinds of comments of that regard.

"I don't know...how about, 'The Incredible Evans'." We both laughed at that, the elevator reaching the last floor, the ready room and the forward observation areas being in front, and the dock leading to the mobile suits on deck behind those two rooms. We got out, Evonne looking at me.

"Well, don't get too big of a head. In any case...I got to go talk to Rodecker. Figure out what I'm gonna do with this Jaeger girl. You know we're flying first mission, right?" I stood in disbelief as I shook my head. First mission? What was this?

"Umm...no, I didn't. What's this about?" She smiled.

"When we get to the Shoal Zone...my team and your team are the ones that are going out and bagging that Musai. Can't wait. How about you?" I felt a little wave of shock continue...take on a Musai? But then again, it's what I wanted. I smiled back.

"I'm ready for anything, these days." She nodded, starting to walk off towards the ready room.

"Well then, I'll see you later, Rick." I nodded, waving her off.

"Take care." She turned back, waving at me too. In the meantime, I had noticed that there was a man standing behind the observation port, with the red beret. I figured it'd be time to get to know some more of these people. I was about half and half so far with those I had. I needed some more friendly faces. I stood next to him when I reached him, extending my hand.

"How's it going today? I'm Ensign Rick Evans." He looked to me, not extending his. His nametag read Brunner. Oh shit, not this guy too...

"Ah. The Green Death himself. It's going fine." I nodded, taking back my hand and put it at my side. God, these guys were a bunch of assholes.

"You look a bit too young to be in the cockpit." I took it as an offense. I wouldn't have gotten that name otherwise. In his defense, he looked like he was in his thirties or so. He seemed frail, weak. Short brown hair, rugged features, the kind that would kill the ladies; but it looked as if he had seen better days.

"Eh. At least I was actually old enough to join. They were sending kids into this shit." He nodded, but continued to shake his head.

"Both of you two that came on, you and Rivers. Much too young. And Malady as well, and Jaeger, Yanamato, Allister...you're all a bunch of damn kids. I can't believe this is what we're considering fit for duty." I shook my head, wanting to disagree, but it really wasn't my place to do so.

"...I think that me and Tasha's records more than speak for themselves. So does Evonne's." He nodded at me, but turned away.

"...we shouldn't have been throwing children into this at all. You know that all too well, I suppose." I balled my hand into a fist at my side. I wasn't a damn kid.

"I made my own decision to join. The Zeon did things...things that I cannot forgive. That's why I joined." He looked at me, and then stared off to space again. Somewhere ahead in the distance was the shoal zone.

"And that's why you're here. You just couldn't go back and be a civilian at the war's end." I kept staring out the port with him. I didn't need to question my reasoning.

"Damn right. A year after flying for the Feds, flying their transports, flying their GMs...watching all sorts of people dying around me, friends, fellow pilots, civs...this is the life I want to live. I got to make someone pay." He looked at me, if I was lost.

"You haven't had the time to decide that. I have. Anyways, all you'll be doing here is shooting the occasional pirate down...is that going to make you feel any better?" I could feel my fist shaking. How dare he...

"You're damn right it will. I had plenty of time to decide that. It took about a week." He didn't respond with any body language, just kept staring at the stars.

"And so that's how we condition the new generation. All sorts of kids now, all trained to fight and kill...and nothing left to kill. No other guy on the other side now. You're going to make your own war, now." I kept stoic myself, not wanting to even look at the guy. And he was my new commander. Fucking hell, flying with some idealist piece of shit and a guy that thinks I'm a traitor. This was just great.

"It wasn't my fault that everything I knew is gone now. This is all I have left...I love every second of it. I don't feel alive unless I'm behind the controls of that GM." He laughed, shaking his head.

"That over colored thing that you brought in? You and Rivers have the silliest looking suits here. I guess it suits your age." I just wanted to punch the asshole in the face, but...that wouldn't go over so well.

"Heh. Well...I know you're here to kill some zekes yourself, right?" He nodded, not looking at me.

"I have my own reasons." I nodded, starting to turn away.

"Then I look forward to our first mission. See you then." He didn't respond as I walked off, starting to wander over to the docks. As I did, I realized what I wanted to do, but had forgotten my flight suit back in the room. I shook y head, going over to the nearby locker to retrieve one of the normal suits stored in it. Must have been some tech's that was off duty. He wouldn't miss it.

EFSF Indignation, February 2nd, UC0080 **  
**Mobile Suit Deck, 0900 Hours **  
**Ensign Rick Evans  
It was a great feeling, floating through space again. Hadn't in about the last week or so. I made my way up the rows, the various other GMs in their team stacks, until I reached the first...my suit on the left side. I just smiled as I looked at it, the dark green paint on the body standing out much more bolder then the bright red ones that were on the line. The right shoulder, a black Spade emblem, the one that I used to paint the MS team number on, it had changed more than a few times already. And it was going to yet again...it still showed the number four from me and Tasha's old team. I had to get that changed...but it didn't matter that much. I just continued to look at it...from what I had heard from other various pilots, they hadn't liked the base GM, preferred their light armors or their Kais...but this was just perfect. It was a perfect killing machine. Two 60mm vulcans, head mounted...beam saber, maximum output runtime at one minute...Beam Spray Gun, fourteen rounds per charge, close range preference...two foes had fallen to this specific GM. The first one, my first five, my ace...pity it had been shot down. You kind of had a bond with your suit, a friendship, just like it was an ordinary person...the only difference being that it was a sixty foot tall war machine. But, we'd seen alot at Perzun...hopefully, would see more...

I found myself being interrupted by another person out here, in a normal suit. Whoever it was put their hand on my right arm, shaking me.

"Hey, Hatchins...you got to get a move on getting that suit up to bear! Don't just look at it!" I turned around, having no idea as to who she was referring to. I turned around; the girl in the normal suit gave me a very confused look.

"Wait, you're not..." I shook my head, smiling.

"No, I'm not this Hatchins guy. I'm the guy that pilots that suit." I put my hand out, she looked at me horribly confused still, but took my hand, just holding it rather than shaking it.

"You're...Rick Evans?" I kept smiling, and nodded.

"That's right." She looked a little taken aback, but kept her hand on mine.

"...you're breaking regulations, you know. Stealing a tech's suit and all of that." I nodded.

"I just wanted to see my GM, I forgot my flight suit. I got to thank you personally for making sure it's in working order." She looked at me with a smile, starting to giggle.

"Oh, thank you. I'm Flight Tech Julie. Julie Darnell. It's nice to meet you." I smiled, I wanted to pull my hand back but she wouldn't let go of it.

"Nice to meet you, as well. You know, if you could do me one favor...you see that four painted on the spade emblem? If you could change that into a one for me. I'd feel weird flying in this 01st team with a 04th marking." She nodded vigorously, still holding onto my hand.

"I will. I'll be right on that." I nodded myself, looking around and seeing all the other techs floating around. She put her other hand to the side of her helmet, as if she was trying to hold her other ear shut so she could hear something better, but of course it didn't work that way. It was just human instinct, I suppose.

"Well, I got to back to work, but I want to say that it's going to be a pleasure working with you, Evans. Just don't get shot up too bad, okay?" I smiled again, it sounded like she had really meant that. I hadn't heard something like that coming out of anyone's mouth other then Tasha's for quite a while.

"I won't. You take care, have a good day." I floated off; as I looked back I could see she was still just staring at me as I was leaving, and so I smiled to myself. At least somebody here was being nice, other than my old hands.

I did make one more pause, my suit almost out of view but I could just barely see it.

_Alright buddy, we're going to have alot of fun a day or two from now. I hope you're ready, I am._


End file.
